After Decades in Limbo, U.S. Grants Path to Citizenship to Thousands of Liberian Refugees

After living in the United States with temporary residency for decades, around 4,000 Liberians finally have the chance to become citizens – thanks to a provision discreetly inserted into a defense policy bill.

The $738 billion bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed by President Donald Trump last month. According to a section of the bill entitled “Liberian refugee immigration fairness,” Liberians – as well as their spouses and children – may now apply for green cards. Eligible Liberians can then apply for citizenship after holding the green card for five years.

“This breakthrough is a testament to the power of organizing, and what a focused movement can do. Most importantly, this resolution is a nearly three decades-long journey for Liberians,” says Patrice Lawrence, the National Policy and Advocacy Director for the UndocuBlack Network. “It is the proof and promise of the resilience of Black immigrants.”

Liberians have been living in a sort of limbo for years, shuffling between temporary residencies provided by humanitarian programs called the Temporary Protected Status and the soon-to-be-terminated Deferred Enforced Departure programs. The new provision “gives [Liberians] a chance to stop living from year to year, extension to extension, to finally be able to put down roots and have some security and legal equality,” says Amaha Kassa, executive director of African Communities Together.